Treasure Island TI Las Vegas: Set Sail for Adventures on the Strip

First-timers in Vegas, we ask our cab driver to take us past the landmark Welcome sign and all the way along the Strip. So, by the time we reach Treasure Island TI, we're already buzzing from all the neon lights and sights familiar from TV and movies. Even as newbies we recognise the hotel by its two replica pirate ships floating on the lagoon outside, which we've seen on socials while prepping our visit.
 

That pool area is essential to the Treasure Island guest experience, helping the place feel like a tropical resort at the centre of the Strip. As part of Vegas history and the home of Cirque du Soleil's iconic Mystère show, the hotel is also a perfect gateway into this city, with all the 24-hour dining, shopping, gaming and entertainment we could want from our weekend break.

The main hotel and casino building towers high above the palm trees and bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip, with a handy, free self-parking garage below. Stepping into the lobby, we're greeted by natural light from panoramic windows, framing views of that vast tropical pool area.

Just through the lobby is the 24-hour casino. As newcomers to Vegas with no experience of playing slots or placing bets, we thought we might feel intimidated, but we were wrong. Even on a first pass across that vast gaming floor – 90,000 square feet of machines and tables – to reach the guest elevators, it all seems exciting, inviting and easy to navigate.
 

This Las Vegas hotel is expansive, offering so much more than just its casino. We count eight bars and 10 restaurants while getting our bearings, as well as franchises we know and love like Krispy Kreme and Popeyes. Plus in-house stores for souvenirs, soaps, fragrances and Cirque du Soleil merch – if it wasn't for the surrounding attractions of Vegas, we probably wouldn't need to leave the hotel at all!
 

Like its name, this hotel's interior design was inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson's classic book Treasure Island. Nautical touches to the décor and furnishings make the interior warm and welcoming. Obviously there are plenty of ultra-modern features from the fitness centre to the event spaces, but there's a certain fun, nostalgia and childlike wonder to feeling like you've set sail on a grand old pirate ship.

Our overall impression? This hotel comes across like a relaxed yet dynamic island resort surrounded by all the action of the Las Vegas Strip. It's even linked by footbridges to neighbouring attractions, so you can just stroll over to explore the stores and entertainments of the Fashion Show Mall and Grand Canal Shoppes.

After check-in, we settle into our Deluxe Spa Room, which is cosy and low-key stylish with a spacious studio layout. We're immediately mesmerised by floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the glow of the Strip. Anticipating a packed couple of days, we can already tell that we'll sleep well on the Elite SensaTIonal pillowtop bed (with a choice of one king or two queen-size beds, this room would be a great choice for families). 
 

There's also an indulgently deep bath to soak in, with luxe toiletries and exclusive beauty products by Oleksandra Spa, who operate the hotel's wellness centre. That spa is on the same floor and practically next door, and this particular room gives us complimentary access to the Oleksandra lounge, where we head for a treatment as soon as possible.

All the hectic energy of Vegas makes the hotel's signature spa seem especially relaxing by contrast, with its neutral colours and gentle aromas shifting us into a different headspace. The menu includes a Couples Massage and a Traveler's Relief treatment cleverly designed to relieve the usual airport and airplane stresses – specifically targeting those areas that tend to ache after sitting in one position for a while, from the neck and back down to the feet.
 

We like the sound of the O Spa Signature Massage too, which applies soothing paraffin to the hands and therapeutic hot oil to the scalp. But we're big fans of the classic Russian banya and delighted to find one of those specialised saunas here. The healing effect of the steam is really enhanced by the extra option of a Venik Massage – where the therapist brushes and taps your body with a bundle of soaked oak or birch leaves – applied with care and skill inside the banya.

There seems no way to hit all the hotel's bars and restaurants in a short stay, but we get to plenty. There's always something to eat or drink that complements whatever fun you're having. Lounging by the pool? Try the taco bar. In a hurry to catch the show? Fill up quick on authentic noodle soup at Pho – Vietnamese. Need a late snack while betting on a big game? The Golden Circle Sports Bar serves classic comfort food into the small hours.
 

Most of our dining highlights come from recommendations by friendly staff too. Our server at the lively cowboy joint Gilley's BBQ tells us that a Tumbleweed Margarita goes down a treat with the pork sliders, and she’s not wrong. For one dinner we go a little more upscale for baked oysters and American wagyu sirloin with a bottle of good red wine at Phil’s Steak House.

The tropical pool adds a lot to our stay, supplying chilled resort vibes that help us ease into some pretty long nights. We rent daybeds for the afternoon and order cocktails from the poolside pub while nodding our heads to a live DJ session that fits the laid-back mood just right. In the 25-seat hot tub, we meet a newlywed couple who just got married in one of the hotel's own chapels, and hired some of the private cabanas to entertain their guests right beside the lagoon.

As newbies, we find this hotel to be the perfect entry point to Vegas, and the casino floor is ideal for inexperienced gamers like us. From the blackjack table to the roulette wheel, the dealers are kind and patient in talking us through the rules, bets and stakes. A little nervous to place our first chips, we have a lot of fun and even win a little too. 
 

Treasure Island TI also gives us our first big Vegas show, and Cirque du Soleil's Mystère is even better than we imagined, with jaw-dropping acrobatics set to rousing live music. We especially love the giant baby! Nightlife-wise, the hotel has everything from karaoke to trivia nights, but we explore the Strip a little further to take a look at the famously futuristic Sphere and check out a couple of big-name dance music venues a short walk away.
 

Final thoughts? We came to Treasure Island TI Las Vegas as newbies, braced to feel out of our depth on that gaming floor. We're leaving having learned baccarat from a dealer with more patience than we deserved, line danced badly at Gilley's, and eaten our best meal of the trip because a server told us exactly what to order. We really couldn't have asked for more in the Entertainment Capital of the World.

• Business travellers in town for city conventions or onsite conferences at the hotel's own impressive event spaces
• Weekenders who want to try a little gaming and watch a big show on a Vegas city break
• Couples getting married at one of the hotel chapels and staying on to honeymoon
• Families on a kid-friendly vacation, with Vegas attractions like the Adventuredome theme park right nearby
• Solo travellers looking for a central base to explore Las Vegas and Nevada canyon country

• The tropical pool: We find it hard to leave our loungers after a lazy afternoon of waterside food and music.
• 24-hour action: We'll never forget learning to play baccarat in the casino, but each long day and late night brings other new experiences, like our line dancing lesson at Gilley's Saloon, or drinking frozen daiquiris in a replica of the Oval Office at ameriCAN Beer & Cocktails.
• Room for romance: The hotel is so vast and varied that it leaves space for intimacy too. Between dinner at Phil's Steak House or a massage in a Russian banya at Oleksandra Spa, we can easily see why people get married here.
• World-class entertainment: Cirque du Soleil's Mystère is the big show, but major live bands and comedians play here too. Our own stay coincided with a midsummer Polynesian luau!
• Vegas and beyond: You can easily venture out past the giddy heart of the Strip, as the Bell Desk arranges day trips to nearby natural wonders like the Grand Canyon.

Address: 3300 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109

Public transport: The Deuce bus stop is within 60 m of the entrance, and the nearest monorail station is a 15-minute walk down the street.